THANK YOU FOR USING GOARTICLES.COM
The Articles Search Engine
Take A Moment To Visit Our Other Top Web Sites:
http://www.dropjack.com http://www.seo-news.com
http://www.sitepronews.com http://www.exactseek.com
http://www.blog-search.com http://www.smartwebgadgets.com
Use and distribution of this article is subject to our Publisher
Guidelines at http://www.goarticles.com/publisher.html
================================================================
Title: Care of the Bed Bound Patient
Author: Kelly the Nurse
Article:
When illness forces us to bed and limits our activities, the
body revolts. Muscles stiffen and contract, skin breaks down and
forms wounds known as, bed sores and our lungs get wetter and
less able to breathe effectively. Sometimes small blood clots
form in our blood vessels and can cause severe complications.
Trust me, even the fluffiest, most comfy mattress in the world
becomes a most uncomfortable prison if you can never escape from
it
Fortunately, there are simple things caregivers can do to
provide relief. I'm going to list 10 things you can do to
enhance the quality of life of your bed bound loved one:
1. Ask the doctor to order a hospital bed and a pressure
relieving overlay mattress. A hospital bed makes positioning
easier for the patient and caregiver. Changing the patient's
position frequently relieves pressure on backs, buttocks and
hips. Raising the head of the bed can assist the patient at meal
times, when taking medications or with breathing. If the patient
has good upper body strength, request a bed "trapeze" too. This
device lets the patient use her upper arm strength to help with
repositioning.
2. Get at least 4 pillows, include one of those long body
pillows since you can and place them between the knees, ankles,
under the arms and behind the back when the patient is laid on
her side.
3. Always use a draw sheet and place it under the hips and
buttocks of the patient. NOT behind their back. You can use
folded sheets but commercially sold water-proof pads are strong
enough to support the patient and protect lines from fluids. Use
these pads and not the patient's arms and legs to re-position
them in bed. Patients should be turned every 2 hours to prevent
bed sores, and yes, bed sores can occur in just a few hours.
4. Perform daily or twice daily skin checks. Pay close attention
to the skin on the back of the ears, buttocks, heels and back.
5. Avoid electric blankets or heating pads. Some patients have
compromised vascular status and these blankets quickly become
warm enough to burn.
6. Ask a nurse or nursing assistant to show you how to
reposition a bed bound patient. Improper transfer technique can
hurt the patient and the caregiver.
7. Avoid the use of urinary catheters. These catheters can be
convenient but increase the risk of urinary tract infection.
Confused patients may pull at them, causing injury.
8. Purchase "heel protectors" sold at medical supply stores.
These provide essential protection to the skin of the heels, a
common site of bed sores.
9. Position the patient's bottom above the middle of the bed and
keep the foot of the hospital bed slightly elevated. Positioning
the bed this way helps keep the patient from scrunching down in
the bed.
10. I've never met a patient who didn't enjoy a back, shoulder
massage. What a wonderful way to provide service to this person.
It's good for your soul too!
About the author:
Kelly maintains the site <a href=http://www.cavcare.com>Extended
Care Information</a>. She has been a registered nurse (RN) since
1988 and is licensed in the state of Washington. Her experience
includes: oncology, rehab, ICU, home health and hospice. She has
previously owned and managed an adult family home and frequently
consults other adult family homes on care issues of the
homebound patient.
================================================================
FORGET EXPENSIVE PPC ADVERTISING
Give your Website Top 10 Exposure across 100's of Search
Engines and Web Directories delivering 150 Million+ Searches/Mo.
$3 - $4/Month - Quick Inclusion - World Wide Placement!
Your Keywords - No Bidding - No Click Fraud - Stats Tracking
< http://www.exactseek.com/featured_listings.html >
================================================================
No comments:
Post a Comment